August 21st, 2008
Guelph's new tourist train's first test run was sponsored by Sleeman and ran south from the River Run Centre with a number of VIPs. I took a few minutes to shoot it, the first passenger train this century on the Guelph Junction Railway, passing under the Goderich-Exeter viaduct over the river, then waited a few minutes for OSR 182 with one plastics car and VIA 85 to pass. Had 85 been running on schedule, I would have shot it in the same frame as OSR 182 -- the holy grail of Guelph railfanning.
Guelph, Ontario
(map) The city of Guelph is my home town and is just East of Kitchener-Waterloo on the GEXR Guelph sub, and the Ontario Southland Railway/Guelph Junction Railway track, the other end of which is at Guelph Junction.
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The first ever run of the Guelph Junction Express pulls out of the River Run Centre with OSRX 506 and 3 demotored RDCs.
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OSR 182 follows moments behind the Guelph Junction Express with one car on its way to PDI.
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VIA #85 runs 5 minutes late over the GJR 5 minutes after the passing of OSR 182... had it been running on time, it would have been a meet video, the holy grail of Guelph railfanning.